ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. board — a committee
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — the sport
  8. content — happy
  9. lean — thin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ball — a dance
  14. content — the amount
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com